Terror, testimonio y transmisión: Voces de mujeres sobreviviente de centros clandestinos de detención en Argentina (1976-1983)

Abstract

The voices of survivors of clandestine detention centers during the last military dictatorship in Argentina have been relatively little heard, and this is especially true of certain experiences of women survivors. While the Mothers and the Grandmothers of Plaza de Mayo are well known in relation to this period, the perspectives and experiences of women survivors (some of whom also belong to the organizations mentioned) have been less disseminated. In recent years, works with feminist sensibilities have analyzed the ways in which women detained under the framework of “subversion” were disciplined, including the use of varied repertoires of gender and sexual violence. This article, which is based on forty-one testimonies of women survivors, aims to highlight these women’s assessment of their journey and the message they want to convey with their testimonies. These women report experiences of suffering and horror, but also offer an opportunity to reflect on visions and strategies for the present and the future. That is, they are not just traumatized, raped or humiliated bodies, but women who have other important things to say and contribute to social memory.